Difference Between Dwarf Lop and Mini Lop

As it is mostly referred, rabbit breeds are exciting and amusing, and all of them come under the domestic rabbit. There are more than 70 different breeds in the world, and each of those should be registered under one or both rabbit breeds clubs based in the United States (American Rabbit Breeders Association/ARBA) or United Kingdom (British Rabbit Council/BRC). Both Mini lop and Dwarf lop are two names used to refer the same breed in different regions of the world. Therefore, this article summarizes the key features of this rabbit breed and discusses the difference between the naming.

Mini Lop and Dwarf Lop

This is a highly popular rabbit breed that has been used in rabbit shows. They were originated in Germany and registered as a standard breed at ARBA after 1978. Despite the fact that they come in different personalities, it is possible to train these rabbits for many tricks due to their higher intelligence compared with many other breeds. They are very fond of playing and love being around people. In fact, mini lops can be trained for litter boxes, as well.

Usually, the ideal shape of a mini lop is understood as a basketball with a head, which means that their body should be rounded with a wide head accompanied by long thick ears. Their weights are standardized according to the age such as Senior Bucks and Does (older than 6 months) to be 2-3 kilograms and 1.4-2.7 kilograms respectively, and Junior Bucks and Does (under 6 months of age) to be 1.4-2.7 kilograms. They are available in many colorations; mainly in solid colours as well as in broken colouration patterns. The mainly accepted colours of the ARBA are chinchilla, chestnut agouti, lynx, black, opal, white, ruby-eyed white, blue-eyed white, tri colour etc. The head of mini lop should be set closely with the shoulders so that their neck would be as short as possible. Additionally, the male’s head should be wider than the female’s. Their ears are well covered with fur, but folds and very thin or thick ears are not considered as purebred features. The breed standards clearly state that their coat of fur should be thick and dense with a glossy and lustrous appearance.

It would be important to state that mini lop should not be confused with the Miniature Lop, which is a separate breed originated in The Netherlands.

Mini Lop vs Dwarf Lop

• Mini lop is the name used in the United States while Dwarf lop is the name used in the United Kingdom for the same rabbit breed that is briefly described above.

• Mini lop seem to be the more preferred name compared to Dwarf lop.

• They were named as Mini lops by the first breeders before the name Dwarf lop.